Win32.Sobig.B@mm (Palyh)

( Win32.Sobig.(A,B)@mm, Win32/Palyh.A@mm, Win32.HLLM.Ccn, W32.HLLW.Mankx@mm )

SYMPTOMS:

Presence of following files in Windows folder:
msccn32.exe
hnks.ini

Presence of the process: msccn32.exe

Presence of registry key:
HKEY\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\SystemTray="msccn32.exe"

Presence of msccn32.exe in:
Windows\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp for Windows 9x

Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup for Windows 2000, XP

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION:

This mass mailer spreads itself via email, as an attatched file with one of the following names:
your_details.pif
ref-394755.pif
approved.pif
password.pif
doc_details.pif
screen_temp.pif
screen_doc.pif
movie28.pif
application.pif

The email is fakely sent from support@microsoft.com, has "All information is in the attached file." in body, and the subject is one of the following:
Your details
Approved (Ref: 38446-263)
Re: Approved (Ref: 3394-65467)
Your password
Re: My details
Screensaver
Cool screensaver
Re: Movie
Re: My application

Once executed the malware copyes itself in %windows% (i.e. C:\WINNT) and gives control to that copy. It searches the whole hard disk for email addresses contained in files with the following extensions: wab, dbx, htm, html, eml, txt.

Starting with 31st of May 2003 the worm stops spreading but it still infects the machine where it is executed.
The virus has been renamed from Win32.Palyh.A@mm into Win32.SoBig.B@mm, as it belongs to the SoBig family.

Removal instructions:

manual removal: kill the process msccn32, delete msccn32.exe and hnks.ini from windows directory and from StartUp; after that remove this
key:  "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\System Tray"
automatic removal: let BitDefender disinfect or use the free removal tool provided by BitDefender!

ANALYZED BY:

Ciubotariu Mircea BitDefender Virus Researcher